Rangers ran out of steam last year and one of the main problems was a lack of firepower in front of goal.
Philippe Clement brought in Fabio Silva on loan but the Portuguese youngster spent most of his time on the wing and didn’t impress the Ibrox faithful.
To make matters worse, the Rangers manager could have strengthened his squad with a previous target, available on a free transfer and who is now bang in form.
Rangers-linked Erik Botheim slips through again
Erik Botheim was available on a cut-price deal in 2022 due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and his club side Krasnodar having to adhere to FIFA regulations.
A move to Salernitana didn’t work out, however, as shown by his statistics on Data MB, he is now back to the sort of form he showed at Bodo/Glimt.
In February on transfer deadline day, Botheim was confirmed as a Malmo player and has since gone on the rampage with eight goals and five assists in 13 appearances for the Swedes.
The 6ft 1inch tall forward was available, affordable and had been watched on several occasions already by Rangers – it should have been a no-brainer.
Instead, he is now under contract until 2027 with the Allsvenskan outfit.
With Kemar Roofe leaving, it is a move that Rangers should have made to save money in the summer on a player that still has the potential to develop and be sold at a profit.
Rangers have gone down a different route with Hamza Igamane
Rangers are now heading into the new campaign with Danilo, Dessers and new arrival Hamza Igamane.
Clement has pleaded with fans to be patient with the young Moroccan and he will have a degree of protection with the two senior teammates shouldering the majority of expectations.
Speaking after his announcement, the Gers boss was clearly delighted to land the youngster:
“We believe he will be a great asset to our squad,” the Rangers manager said.
“He has a lot of talent and potential and he will bring a fresh presence to our attacking options.
“We know it will be a big change in culture and a new country for Hamza to adapt to, but as a club we will support him on and off the pitch to settle in here.”
Igamane will be on cheaper wages than Botheim, however, when you include the transfer fee, there is every chance that the Norway international could have cost less over the course of a contract.
It is these misses on players who have been scouted already, in positions where Rangers need to strengthen, that need to be minimised in the future.
On this occasion, Rangers have lost out on goals and, potentially, a big sell on transfer fee too.
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